Tank



Nov. 25, 1924. 1,517,006

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Patented Nov. 25, v1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. HORTON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO BRIDGE @aIRON CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TANK.

AApplication led December 15, 1923. Serial No. 680,909.

T 0 all whom it 'may concern.' f Be it known that I', GEORGE T. HoRToN acitizen of the United States, residing at 105th and Throop Sts.,Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oflllinois, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Tanks, of which the following is aspecification.

. This invention relates to improvements in tanks and more lespeciallyto astorage tank designed primarily for `the storage of volatile liquidssuch as gasoline and the like. Ordinarily, in theV storage of suchliquids, there is considerable loss trom evaporation, unless the tank isentirely closed. If this is done, it is obvious that there will beconsiderable pressurel developed inside of the tank due to evaporationofthe liquid, expansion of the gases, and the like. f

My improved tank is desi ed to withstand a considerable amount opressure and still have a relatively large capacity. For

. example, the tank shown in this application is designed for capacityof substantially 433,000 gallons and has a diameter of substantially 48feet. My improved lstorage tank is made spherical in form so that withthe minimum amount of weight, a maximum amount of pressure may be held.In making a tank of this size spherical in shape, many difliculties wereencountered in properly supporting it, making it of the proper strength,and the like. Ihese diiiculties have all been overcome 1n my improvedtank which is shown 'and described more in detail hereinafter.

Other features and advantages of my invention will appear more fully asI proceed with my specification.

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention shown inthe accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front eevation of atank, Figure 2 is a top view partly in plan and partly in section,Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale taken throughthe top of one of the posts showing the method of joining the post tothe tank and also showing the balcony inside, and Figure 4 is a viewvtaken as indicated by the line 4 of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, the tank comprisesa spherical shell 1 0 madeup of plates 11 properly curvedand shaped to form a sphere whenfastenedtogether.l The plates 11 are 'here shown as joined at their edges bybutt-straps 12 and 13 on the inside and outside respectively. Thebutt-straps 12 on the insi e are slightly wider than the straps 13 onthe outside.v The straps are suitably joined by an inner row of rivets14 and an outer row of rivets 15 fastens the outer edges of the innerstrap 12 to the shell plate 11.

The shell is entirely supported by ten vertical posts 16 set on thepiers 17. The posts are suitably joined by means of the struts 18 androds or braces 19, as shown.

It is to be particularl noted that the spherical shell is attache totheposts at their upper ends around the middle of the shell and that theshell has no other sup. port. As shown in Fig. 1, the bottom of theshell does not rest on the ground and is not supported except as ithangs from the posts. By .supporting the` tank in this manner, there isthe least possible tendency to distort the shape of the tank. The methodof attaching the posts to the shell is shown more clearly in Figs. l3`and 4. It is to be noted that the postl is formed of two channel irons20 joined by lacing 21 on the outside and a flat plate 22 on the inside.At the upper end the channels 20 are cut away on acurvature 23,conforming to the curvature of the shell 11. Attached to each of` thechannels 20 is an angle iron 24 bentto a similar curvature. Each of theangle irons 24 is riveted to one of the channels 20 by means `of the.rivets 25 as shown, and the other flange of the angle irons 24 isattached to the shell of the tank by means of the rivets 26. At thelower ends of the angle irons 24 there are vattached shorter angle irons27 which are riveted to the channels 20 for reinforcing purposes. At theupper end of each post on the outside there are likewise fastened twoangle irons 28 as shown and between these angle irons and the post isclamped a plate 29 having holes 30 to which the rods 19 are attached. Itis to be noted that the channels 20 are cut away at 23 so that the lineof attachment between the shell and the post falls substantially overthe center of the post. By means of this construction, bending orwarping of the post is prevented.

To the inside of the tank is attached a circular balcony 31 as shown.The attachment is made with the shell by means of angle irons 32 and 33above and below the balcony respectively; and brackets 34 are placed atsuitable intervals to give additional sup-port. The inner edge of thebalcony 3l is stiflened by means of the angle irons 35 and 36. v

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to bennderstood that it is capable' of many,

modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangementmay be made without departingy from the spirit and scope of theinvention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is myintention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly aspossible in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. A storage tank comprising a spherical shell substantially supportedby vertical posts attached at their upper ends to the shell, the pointsof `attachment lying in or close to a horizontal plane passing throughthe center of the shell, and each of the posts being cut away so thatthe points of attach-v ment between a post-and the shell liesubstantially over the center of the post.

2. A storage tank comprising a spherical shell substantially supportedby vertical posts attached at their upper ends to the shell, each of theposts being cut away at the point of attachment so that a vertical planetangential to the shell will pass subystantially through the center ofthe post.

v 3. A storage tank comprising a spherical shell substantially supportedby vertical posts attached at their upper ends to the shell, the pointsof attachment lying in or close toa horizontal plane passing through thecenter of the shell, and each'of the posts being cut away so that avertical plane tan ential to the shell will pass substantial y throughthe center of the post.

4. Astorage' tank comprising 'a spherical shell substantially supportedby vertical posts formed of channel members, each of Athe posts havingsubstantially'one half of its width cut away-at thefupper end on acurvature conformingto the curvature of the spherical shell, said upperends of the posts being attachedl to the shell.

5. A storage tank comprising a spherical shell substantially supportedby vertical posts, each o-f the posts having substantially one half ofits width cut away at its upper end on a curvature conforming to thecurvature of the spherical shell, and curved angle irons attached'to theupper end of each post conforming to the curvature of the cut awayportions, said angle irons being attached to the posts and to thespherical shell.

6. A storage tank comprising a spherical shell substantially supportedby a plurality of vertical posts arranged about its periphery, 'each o-fsaid posts comprising a pair of channel irons suitably fastened togetherand having substantially one half of their widths cut away at theirupper ends ona curvature conforming to the curvature of the sphericalshell, and angle irons riveted to the upper ends of the channels curvedto conform to the curvature of the cutl away portion, said angle ironsalso being riveted v to the spherical shell.

7 A storage tank comprising a sphericalv shell substantially supportedby vertical posts attached at their upper ends to the shell, each of theposts being cut away at the point of attachment so that a vertical planetangential to the shell will pass substantially through the center ofthe post, and a horizontal balcony on the interior of theshell lyingsubstantially in a horizontal pllalre passing through the center of theS e In witness whereof, I have hereunto set r my hand and seal this 5thday of December, 1923. l GEORGE T. HORTON. lL. al

